Bedtime Prayers
by tjmack
Summary: /AU/ Post Island Fic. Charlie's watched his daughter grow, and now it's time for him to let her go, to start her own life.


**Bedtime Prayer**

**Summary: /AU/ Post Island Fic. Charlie's watched his daughter grow, and now it's time for him to let her loose, to start her own life.**

**Disclaimer: Okay so I've never actually put one of these on any of my fictions. Oh well, now is as good a time as ever. I don't own Lost, although sometimes I wish I did, maybe then poor Charlie would still be alive. I also don't own Butterfly Kisses, I just borrowed some of the lyrics for the title, and they are sprawled out through-out the fiction.**

**Author's Note: Italics are flashbacks! I do apologize for the mass amounts of them, but do promise that they are important to the story, otherwise it would be too much like the show and be slightly on the confusing side. Bold Italics are for the small fragments of the song, in which I borrowed to make this fiction have more ooey gooey fluffiness, and for the song that Charlie "wrote" for Aaron way back in the day I apologize if said song sucks...I am by no means a songwriter! Also, I suppose this could be a sequel to "It's Not My Time" although it can be read separate from it. Not to forget though...Just because this seems like the worlds most fluff filled fiction, it just might not end that way...not completely at least. **

* * *

_Charlie grinned at Claire as he scooted a little closer to her. It had been nearly two months since the Looking Glass incident. He could say that he was very happy that he had survived, he would be forever thankful to Desmond for saving his ass. Claire smiled back at Charlie, as she grabbed his hand. Neither of them had brought up how weird it would be when they got back to the mainland. Claire assumed that it was more for the fact that they wanted to enjoy their last comfortable moments before life became even more confusing for the remaining Oceanic passengers. Claire's grip on his hand tighten as she felt them start descending. _

_'Damn! That was over far to quickly' Claire thought to herself, although she didn't allow her utter disappointment show on her face, and kept a smile plastered on her face. She heard someone talking about something that she assumed was important, but her mind was thinking to loudly for her to make any sense of whatever it was that she was saying. She saw as Charlie nodded his head, apparently he heard her. 'Damn' _

_Charlie shut his eyes as the wheels of the plane hit the ground. They were safe, they made it. They were home, and they were safe. It wasn't until this moment that Charlie realized just how awkward this was going to end up being for the two of them. They had grown much closer the past couple of months, Claire was obviously afraid to waste anytime that they had together. Now that she knew that it might be the last time. He shook his head, no matter how awkward it might be, they loved each other. That was all that mattered to him. He smiled at the fond memory of Claire finally admitting to him that she loved him. It had been in the middle of the night, and Claire had woken up screaming. She had dreamt of Charlie drowning in the looking glass, but no one was there to save him. Charlie had comforted her, cooed soothingly in her ear until her terrified screams became nothing more than sad, little whimpers. Her sad, exhausted eyes met his, and she buried her head into his chest, as the words fell from her mouth. _

_His smile soon dissipated when he got a glimpse of all the media that stood awaiting their arrival. Apparently the fact that they had survived a plane crash, that everyone had been so sure that no one had survived, was big news. Just beyond the mounds of media and press, stood the teary eyed family members awaiting for their loved ones to return. Charlie kept his hand tightly around Claire's, not wanting to lose her in the crowd of people. _

_They both soon found that they were being blinded by the many flashes of camera's going off. All too soon, they found microphones being shoved in their faces, as questions were flying at them from every direction. Charlie's eyes grew wide, he'd never expected this. _

"_Charlie Pace, how does it feel that your band has found more success with the notion of you being dead, than when you were alive?" Charlie found himself catching onto that question. _

_Claire hadn't heard the exact words, but she saw the hurt on Charlie's face, and knew it had to be about his band. _

_Charlie sighed, as they passed the last of the camera's, and heard as the questions soon started to fade out for him and Claire, and started up again for those coming from behind them. His eyes scanned the lot of people with tissues, and looked like they were at a loss. He could understand that, considering they had thought that were all dead. His eyes landed upon a familiar face, as a smile crossed his face. He started to pull Claire with him, as he headed of toward his brother, who too had tears in his eyes. _

"_Charlie, were are you going?" Claire asked before her eyes followed his, and landed on a man that looked a little like Charlie. Claire immediately realized that this man was his older brother Liam. _

"_Liam," Charlie's smile grew wider, as he embraced his brother tightly. _

"_I thought you were dead baby brother," Liam said softly, as he hugged his brother back. _

_After a few moments Liam took a step back to take in his little brother. He looked so different, but yet the same. His hair was much longer than it had been before he left, he looked a little paler, but it was indeed his brother. His eyes then caught the beautiful blonde's who was standing beside his brother, and whose hand was entangled with at the moment. _

"_Whose this baby brother?" Liam asked curiously. _

_Leave it too his brother to hook up with someone, after a tragic accident. He then eyed the small infant in the young girl's arms. His first thought was that it was his brother's, but that thought was thrown out when he noticed that the small baby was far too old for it to have been conceived in the few amount of months that they were stuck on the island that they had apparently been living on. _

"_Oh, I've apparently forgotten my manners. Liam, this is Claire, Claire this is my brother Liam." Charlie smiled, as they both said their hello's. _

"_And the child?" Liam let his sentence hang, as he pressed his little brother for the information he was seeking. _

_Only instead of Charlie answering his question, Claire found that she had apparently found her voice, and had started talking without her knowledge. _

"_This is Aaron," Claire cut herself off before she said something to embarrass herself. _

"_Oh, well he is quite the lovely baby," Liam smiled warmly at her, figuring that was all the information he was going to receive._

* * *

_Claire shifted awkwardly on the hotel room bed. It had been nearly a month since they had returned home from the island. Claire had decided against staying with Charlie and his brother's family. Feeling that it would have been awkward enough living with Charlie, let alone his brother's family as well. Not saying that she hadn't seen Charlie though. Of course she had. She went to see Charlie everyday, always taking Aaron with her, who always seemed to be crying out for Charlie. _

_Now sitting on the small bed in the small hotel, she realize how much she actually missed him. She shook her head at herself. 'How can you miss someone you see everyday?' she found herself asking. That question though, she could answer easily. Back in everyday island life, they were hardly ever separate from each other. They liked it that though. Charlie filled an empty void in her heart where she assumed Thomas used to be, and Claire filled the void where heroin used to be. Now that they were separate, it felt like someone had taken away her security, her safety. She didn't like the feeling one bit. She sighed, before giving in. It was still very early in the afternoon, and she hadn't made her daily visit to Charlie yet. _

_Although this time around, it wouldn't be to Liam's house. Charlie had bought his own dwelling, just outside of Sydney. He had told Claire that if she wanted to, she was more than welcome to stay there with him until she figured out what it was that she wanted to do. _

_Claire had smiled warmly at him, and told him that she would think on it. All the while her insides screamed at her to take the offer. _

_Claire sat in the taxi that was taking her to Charlie's house. Aaron laying comfortably in her arms, his blue eyes staring straight at her, as he cooed lightly. She smiled softly at her son, who seemed to have a keen ability to know who they were going to go see. _

_Before too long Claire found herself standing in front of Charlie's house, her hand poised in knocking position. She knocked softly three times, it had become their secret code of sorts. She heard the sounds of his feet shuffling as he walked toward the door. Without even seeing his face, she could see the wide grin on his face, which in turns caused a grin to spread out across her face as well. _

"_Well if it isn't Miss Littleton, and is that little turnip-head?" Charlie asked, receiving a smack on the arm. _

"_Charlie, you act like you haven't seen us for days," Claire smiled as she walked in past Charlie's opened arms. _

"_Well, it feels like it has been days. You do know that my offer still stands, I promise to be a complete and humble gentleman," Charlie smiled at her, as they walked toward the furniture in his sitting room._

"_Ummm...Well that is one reason why I came by..." Claire paused as she started to bite her bottom lip nervously. _

_Charlie stayed quiet, afraid that she was here to turn down his offer, or worse, tell him that she's moving away to get away from him. _

"_I was going to ask you if the offer still stood. It's just, that hotel room isn't very cozy, and I just...I miss just hanging out with you...you know like before," Claire rambled on, before Charlie held his hand up. _

"_Of course the offer still stands Claire. I'd love to have you and Aaron move in here. This place is just so empty by my lonesome," Charlie said, trying to hide the smile that wanted to spread across his face. _

"_Great!" Claire smiled, as she stood up to sit down beside Charlie. _

_She let her free arm drape across his shoulder, before pulling him into a awkward hug. Charlie reveled in feeling her close to him again, before pulling back and kissing her cheek. He automatically regretted doing so, as Claire's eyes wavered from his, and found his floor interesting. _

"_Oh god! I'm such and idiot. I'm sorry Claire I didn't mean..." Charlie's sentence got cut off, as Claire pressed her lips hard into his. _

_Charlie stood up beside the minister, a smile plastered on his face, that no amount of bad news could remove. His brother Liam standing beside him, wearing the same black suit as Charlie was. A smile of his own plastered on his lips. Happy that his brother had found someone to make him as happy as Karen had made him. _

* * *

_Charlie's eyes found the door that lead into the church, as the wedding march started to play. The door flew open, as Claire started her way down the aisle, being lead by Jack. It hadn't been more than two months since they found out that they were brother and sister. At first finding it awkward to even talk to each other, they soon found that they stood on common ground as far as their father went. _

_Charlie's smiled grew wider, if it was even possible, as she stood in front of him. He took her arm in his, and led her up the steps, and stopped just in front of the minister. _

"_Who gives this girl away?" the minister asked, as a small group of people stood together. _

_All figuring this day would eventually come, and were all happy when they got the phone call that it was indeed happening. _

"_We do," they said in unison, as smiles crept across all of their lips. _

_Charlie's eyes were peeled to Claire's, and vice versa. He wasn't really paying attention to what the minister was saying. He spoke when he remembered that he needed too, a few details from Liam's wedding were still in his mind, even through his drug induced state. _

"_I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride," the minister said, as Charlie lent forward and softly pressed his lips against Claire's. "I give you, Mr. And Mrs. Charlie Pace." _

_The small group of people that had been invited to the private ceremony stood up in unison and clapped for their two good friends, who had just declared their undying love for each other. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, as tissues were pressed to the corners of their eyes. _

_Charlie and Claire walked hand and hand, back up the aisle, smiling the whole way. _

* * *

_They had been married for a year now. Although it was only about a month into the marriage that Claire found out that she was two months pregnant. While they were both happy, that they were bringing their own child into the world, they weren't sure that they were ready for another child. Aaron was almost three years old, and was at that age were he was everywhere, and into everything. _

_Charlie had simply smiled brightly at her though, and promised her that everything would be fine. That they'd be happier than they ever thought possible. Claire had told Charlie immediately that if they had a baby girl, that she'd like to name the baby after her mother. Charlie had smiled, and quickly told her that they would definitely name the baby after her mother if it was a girl. _

* * *

_Charlie sat comfortably on the rocking chair, singing softly to the small baby girl in his arms. He looked down and saw that she was indeed asleep. He stood up slowly, placing the small child in her crib, before placing a hand on her head. A smile crossing his lips._

"Goodnight, my sweet Carol," Charlie whispered to his baby girl.

_Claire smiled softly at the sight of her husband and their month old daughter. She realized just how truly happy she was. She was certain that under most standards, that her mother wouldn't have exactly have been happy with her decision to marry Charlie Pace. Being that he was an ex-heroin addict, who played bass for a band that most everyone hadn't heard of, that of course was until everyone thought that Charlie was dead._

_Claire had saw the hurt in his eye when he found out just how big the band had become, after his supposed demise. Although, a few months after she had moved in with him, he had told her that was glad that the band was bigger without him. That he didn't want to be that person again, the one he became when he was on tour, with women throwing themselves at him. Any drug he might want, right at his fingertips. He went on to tell her that he was happiest right now, with her and Aaron. That through everything, they had become his family, and that he didn't need the crutch of his addiction, or his band for that matter to help hold him up. _

_Claire swiped away a few stray tears, as Charlie's deep blue eyes stared back at hers. He offered her a simple smile before slowly standing up to walk towards her. _

"_And what were you looking at?" Charlie asked, a playful smile on his lips, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. _

"_You and our daughter," Claire smiled back, before laying her head on Charlie's shoulder. _

_She couldn't remember feeling this safe and secure in Thomas's arms. Charlie just had a grace about him, well that, and he had proved on more than one occasion that he would do anything necessary to protect her and Aaron, and now of course Carol as well. _

"_I love you so much," she said into his shoulder._

"_I love you too Claire," he said as he kiss the top of her head. _

_Claire sighed contently, she couldn't believe just how blissfully happy she truly was. _

* * *

_It had been two years, and baby Carol was now just over two years old. She could say a few garbled words here or there, but her favorite word was 'Dadda'. For being so young, she truly knew that she had her father wrapped around her tiny little finger. Claire had always found it hilarious, how wrapped around her finger Charlie actually was. _

_They had kept in contact, as well as possible, with some of the others. Although they didn't speak as much as Charlie and Claire would like. Claire though, had just had a conversation with Kate. They had talked about their husbands, although Sawyer's latest job wasn't really an interesting topic for Claire, considering this one would be his eight job, this year. For some reason, beyond Kate and Claire's thinking capacities, they couldn't figure out why he couldn't keep a job. That was until Kate had told her what his last boss said upon firing him. _

"_You wouldn't believe it Claire, he actually called his boss that," Kate said, at a loss for words. _

"_Yeah, well it's not really that unbelievable Kate, I mean he is Sawyer," Claire said, pointing out the fact that he had a list a mile long for all the nicknames he had used for each of the castaways. _

"_As true as that maybe, he isn't on the island anymore. They don't have to put up with him, and well they aren't. I just, I wish to hell he'd get his shit together and keep a job," Kate sighed, before changing the subject. "So how's Charlie doing with Claire junior?"_

_Kate, as well as most of everyone else who had even laid eyes upon Carol once knew that she was the spitting image of what Claire must have looked like when she was a baby. _

"_Uh, well..." Claire grinned widely before continuing. "She has got her daddy wrapped around her tiny little finger." _

"_You mean to tell me that Charlie Pace, has fallen victim to cute baby syndrome?" Kate asked, obviously tickled by the thought of Charlie doing, and getting whatever he could for his precious little girl. _

"_He sure has, I mean it's worse than with Aaron. Although being on the damned island, he couldn't exactly get Aaron everything that he might have wanted too, but still. Although, with that said, Charlie hasn't taken away any attention from Aaron," Claire said, smiling. _

_That of course was one of her bigger fears when she found out she was pregnant with Carol. She was afraid that Charlie would get too caught up with his 'biological' daughter to spend time with Aaron. She had eventually told him of her fears, after he nagged her to death about it. He simply smiled, before putting a calming hand on her shoulder and simply said, "but Aaron is my son."_

_Although Claire knew he meant well, and for all intensive purposes, Charlie was right. Charlie had been the only father that Aaron knew, but legally Charlie wasn't Aaron's father. He had taken her by surprise when he eyes flickered with an idea, before suddenly saying, "I wanna adopt Aaron. I want him to legally be my son." _

_Claire had cried happily in his arms, before realizing that the chances of Thomas giving up his parental rights to Aaron were slim to none. Although, when they had went to go see a lawyer on it, he had simply told him that with Thomas's lack of parenting, and with Charlie being there throughout the young boy's life, that getting the judge's approval shouldn't be a difficult task. It had proved easier than even the lawyer thought, when Thomas didn't even show up at the hearing. The judge had no choice but to grant Thomas's parental rights be taken away, and grant Charlie's petition for adoption. _

"_So, what was this I heard about Charlie adopting Aaron?" Kate asked suddenly, as if reading Claire's thoughts. _

"_He did, not too long after I found out that I was pregnant with Carol. He told me that he wanted to be Aaron's biological father. God Kate, I was so happy when he said that, that I cried for like twenty straight minutes," Claire said. _

"_Gotta love those hormones," Kate laughed._

"_Yeah, so how are those cravings treating you?" Claire asked._

"_Well, I actually made Sawyer throw up once. That wasn't exactly the reaction I was looking for when I asked for chocolate ice cream with pickles cut up in it. Apparently to normal people that isn't very appetizing," Kate laughed._

"_Oh god, I am so glad I never craved something that bile," Claire laughed with her._

"_Yeah, well it was very delicious, although now the thought of pickles makes me so ill," Kate said._

"_Yeah, it has a tendency of doing that on occasion," Claire smiled, loving the fact that she had the ability to help Kate through her pregnancy. _

"_Good to know, I just wish it didn't. Just because it makes me ill, doesn't mean I don't still crave it," Kate said, before inturpting herself. "I gotta go, apparently even the thought..." _

_The line went dead, and Claire knew immediately what was wrong. Pregnancy was a bitch, especially the early months. She still had nightmares from her early months with Carol. She had been stuck, wrapped around the toilet for a whole day, a whole twenty-four hours. She felt so empty, and exhausted by the time she felt safe enough to unwrap herself from the toilet, that Charlie literally had to carry her to bed. He had taken that whole week off, feeling the need to watch her closely to insure that she wasn't going to be needed to be rushed to the emergency room. Although, thankfully after that day, her morning sickness seemed to ease up a bit, and picked one certain time of day to make her dreadfully ill. _

* * *

_Charlie smiled, as Carol begged him for one more bedtime story. He shook his head, signalling that it was indeed time for bed, when Carol looked up at him with her big blue eyes and said, "Daddy play song." _

_Charlie felt as tears pressed against his eyelids, as he agreed to play them one song. He grabbed his guitar, before settling in on the bed next to her. Unknown to him that Claire and Aaron where standing at her bedroom door, listening intently. Charlie hummed to himself for a minute trying to remember the beat for the song he had chosen to sing. One that over the last four years had become very special to him, one that he loved dearly, no matter how against his taste of music it might have been. He smiled happily as the beat started to play in his mind, his poised fingers started to strum the chord pattern for the song, as he started to sing. _

_**There's two things I know for sure.**_

_**She was sent here from heaven,**_

_**and she's daddy's little girl. **_

_**As I drop to my knees by her bed at night.**_

_**She talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes,**_

_**and I thank god for all the joy in my life.**_

_**Oh, but most of all.**_

_**For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer;**_

_**sticking little white flowers all up in her hair.**_

_Charlie paused when he saw Carol's tiny eyelids flutter shut, and smiled contently at the sight. He knew his voice was good for something. He stood up, and noticed the two separate pairs of eyes plastered to him, and the tears in both. _

"_How long have you been there?" Charlie asked._

"_A bit, that's such a beautiful song Charlie," Claire sighed happily, one hand on Aaron's shoulders, the other one was wiping away at the tears that had formed in her eyes. _

"_What are you still doing up little man?" Charlie asked, kneeling down in front of Aaron, who wiped angrily at the tears in his eyes._

"_I wanted you to read me a story, but your to busy singing to Carol," Aaron said, anger dripping from his words, as he shoved his mother's arm off his shoulders, and ran off toward his bedroom. _

"_I screwed up didn't I?" Charlie sighed, his head hung low, feeling horrible that he had been alienating Aaron, without even knowing it. _

"_You didn't realize Charlie, it's just...Aaron wants his daddy to put him to bed sometimes too," Claire said softly. _

"_Well, then put him to bed I will," Charlie grinned, remembering that he had written a song, back on the island, for little Aaron, the same way he had for Claire._

_Although it had felt like another lifetime since he had written that song, it's words were still fresh in his mind. Charlie knocked once on Aaron's door, when all he heard come from the other side was a grunt, he opened the door, guitar in hand. _

"_I don't want to pity songs from you," Aaron bit at him. _

"_I'm so sorry little man, I didn't even know you wanted me to read you a bedtime story, but I have something better than that for ya," Charlie grinned, pulling his guitar up to his chest, insuring that it was tuned right. "Now, this isn't any big time seller or anything, but I wrote this song for you when you were just a little baby."_

_Charlie poised his fingers over the frets and strings, as he strummed out a small toned tune. _

_**Little baby turnip-head, please go to sleep. **_

_**Please little cutesy baby, stop your crying, close your eyes**_

_**Your mummy needs some sleep, so do I. **_

_**Once again, tiny baby please get some sleep tonight. **_

_**LaDaLaDaLaDaLaDa**_

_**Little tiny turnip-head, please lay your downy head down**_

_**Close those little blue eyes, oh please say some sleep is coming tonight.**_

_**Your mum and I love you dearly, but some sleep would be nice...**_

_Charlie stopped when he saw a smile wrap around Aaron's face. _

"_You wrote that for me daddy?" Aaron asked._

"_Yup, you can even ask your mum about it," Charlie said, trying to remember if he had told Claire about the small tune he had written for Aaron. _

"_He sure did Aaron. You weren't sleeping well, and so he wrote you that song. Even sang it to you once, one particularly bad night, when you wouldn't stop crying. You fell asleep instantly. That's when I start joking with your dad about how his voice was only good to put people to sleep," Claire laughing lightly. _

_Aaron's blue eyes lit up, as he wrapped his tiny arms around Charlie's neck before whispering, "Thank you daddy," into his ear. _

* * *

_Carol blew out the candles on her birthday cake that claimed her age of five years old. Charlie was amazed at how fast the time had flown by. It seemed like only yesterday that Carol was just being born. _

"_Daddy, presents," Carol demanded, after the candles had been blown out. _

_Charlie looked to Claire who simply shrugged her okay with it. Charlie sat down beside Carol, and Aaron sat down next to him. _

"_Are you gonna be Daddy's helper?" Charlie asked Aaron with a sly grin. _

"_Yup, I love helpin you daddy," Aaron smiled back, before handing him the first present. _

"_Okay, do you wanna open these buy yourself, like a big girl, or do you want daddy to help you?" Charlie asked her. _

"_Like a big girl," she said, making her forehead crease, trying to show her seriousness. _

"_Okay then," Charlie smiled at her, before handing her a present that appeared to be half her size. _

"_Ummm...daddy..." Carol let her sentence trail off, knowing that Charlie would know what she wanted._

"_I thought so," Charlie said, helping the small girl rip the paper off her present. _

"_Yay, whose it from daddy," Carol asked excitedly. _

"_That would be...Ah! Uncle Hurley," Charlie said, as Carol leapt from her seat, and flung her small arms around Hurley's leg._

"_Thank you Uncle Hurley," Carol said, giving him a toothy grin. _

"_You know, she might be a mini Claire as far as looks go, but she's got her daddy's personality," Hurley said, as everyone who had been invited busted out laughing._

"_Is that a bad thing?" Charlie asked, as he eyed the people laughing. _

_Desmond stepped forward, as he took his arm from around Penny's back. "Not necessarily...it just kinds of depends though."_

_Penny slapped Desmond's arm, which caused them all to laugh again._

"_Well, I might have a bad personality Des, but your pregnant wife just put you in your place," Charlie laughed, before Claire eyed him. _

"_Hmmm...looks like our wives have something in common," Desmond said, to which, the entire room erupted into laughter. _

* * *

_Aaron stared at the present that Charlie had given him. He couldn't believe it. He had asked his father for one, but nowhere in his mind did he believe his dad would actually get one for him._

"_I thought you said you didn't want me playing?" Aaron asked, now fourteen years old._

"_I didn't son, and there are many reasons why. It's just, I see that love for music in your eyes, just like I saw in mine so many years ago," Charlie explained._

"_Well, thanks dad, this means a lot to me. It looks a lot like yours," Aaron smiled at him. _

"_Yeah, well I saw how much you liked mine, so I thought I'd get you one like mine," Charlie smiled, as he pulled his own guitar into his arms, and strummed to make sure it was still in tune. "Care to join your old man in a little tune?" _

"_Sure dad," Aaron grinned from ear to ear. _

"_Daddy!" Carol screeched when she saw that Aaron was holding his own guitar. "He's been wanting one of those forever." _

"_I know baby, that's why I went out today and picked it out for him," Charlie said._

"_Well, if you guys were gonna play something...can you play daddy's song?" Carol asked. _

_Although any other time Charlie would have thought she meant 'You All Everybody,' but this time he knew what she was talking about. It was the song she had begged him to play for her at night when she attempted to go to sleep. Charlie looked over at Aaron, not sure that he even knew the chords for the song, although he did seem to have Charlie's ability to pick out the tone by ear, and play what he had heard._

"_If that's alright with dad, then sure," Aaron smiled at his little sister._

"_Of course we will," Charlie grinned at his two children...**his two children**, he loved the way that sounded. Charlie picked the song up in the second verse, dreading the milestone that the song was pointing to, that was all too quickly coming up. _

_**Sweet 16 today**_

_**She's looking like her mama a little more everyday.**_

_**One part woman, the other part girl**_

_**To perfume and make-up, from ribbons and curls**_

_**Trying her wings out in this great big world**_

_**But I remember**_

_**Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayers.**_

_**Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair.**_

"_**You know how much I love you daddy, but I'm**_

_**only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time."**_

_**With all that I've done wrong, I must have done**_

_**something right, to deserve her love every morning**_

_**and butterfly kisses at night. **_

_Aaron sat his guitar down and hugged Charlie tightly. _

"_I love you dad," Aaron said, his words so heart felt._

"_I love you too...little man," Charlie grinned. _

_Out of all the nicknames Charlie had used for Aaron, little man had turned out to be his favorite. Even though, at only fourteen, Aaron nearly towered over Charlie. He had grown into such a tall, lanky young man. _

* * *

Charlie smiled to himself, remembering all the great times that they had, had together. Now sitting in the first pew of the church, having just gave his daughter away, to the man she was about to marry. While he was a great man, and very dedicated to his daughter, he felt like, not only was he losing his only daughter, but the last little piece of Claire as well. It had been nearly five years since she had passed on. Charlie had done everything in his power to try and save her, but it was a frutal effort. She had been struck by a car during one of there long Sunday walks. Her injuries were severe, and the driver of the car had been drinking.

When he lost Claire, he felt like his life was over. Aaron had long since moved out, and gotten a place of his own. The boy was so much like his mother it sometimes scared Charlie. While as he grew, he started to resemble his father, who Charlie had only met once, but his personality was that of his mother's. Free-spirited, and a defining independence, he definitely was his mother's son. Carol on the other hand, she was a different story. She was the spitting image of her mother, all the while her personality was a mere clone of her father's. Always needing the approval of others, and never feeling quite good enough around certain people. Always trying to lend a helping hand, and feeling completely useless when she is turned down.

Besides Charlie, Carol had felt the brunt of her mother's death. While Carol would always be daddy's little girl, she had only in her teen aged years, grown much closer to her mother. She had become Carol's confidante, when she had something that she needed to get off her chest, but knew that Charlie wouldn't like what she was saying. Claire, being the amazing mother she turned out to be, had always promised both of her children that no matter what, they could come to her. Both children had used her promise from time to time. Although Aaron had felt it better to talk to Charlie about most things, than his mother.

Looking at Carol now, he felt tears well up in his eyes. Now he truly was alone, and though he knew that Claire would be proud of him letting his daughter go so easily. He couldn't' help but feel the pang of heartache in his chest at the thought of truly being alone.

"Hello everyone, as my sister said, there is a couple of song I'd like to sing for you all right now. One of which, I'm only going to sing part of. The part most fitting for this very moment. It's my father's song for my little sister. The song he used to sing her to sleep with. So without further time wasted, here it is, Butterfly Kisses," Aaron said, his acoustic guitar strapped across his shoulders, and he strummed once to insure that the guitar was in the right tune before starting.

_**She'll change her name today**_

_**She'll make a promise and I'll give her away**_

_**Standing in the bride-room just staring at her**_

_**She asked me what I'm thinking and I said,**_

"_**I'm not sure, I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."**_

_**She leaned over and gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there**_

_**Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair**_

"_**Walk me down the aisle daddy, it's just about time."**_

"_**Does my wedding gown look pretty daddy? Daddy don't cry."**_

_**Oh with all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right.**_

_**To deserve her love every morning, and butterfly kisses at night.**_

_Aaron smiled as he finished the small amount of their song, before taking a small bow. While he had promised his father that he wouldn't join a band, or do any other stupid thing Charlie had done when he was his age. He had became a free-lance singer/songwriter. Only playing in his spare time, at any club or street corner that he felt needed a little lift in their day. _

_Aaron took a step back toward the microphone, his guitar still strapped tightly to his shoulder._

"_For this next song, I'd like my Uncle Liam to come out and help me. We wrote this song together, it's kind of about my sister's relationship with my father," Aaron explained, as Charlie's older brother stood up on the stage next to Charlie's son, both having guitars strapped to their shoulders. "It's called A Father's Love."_

_**I remember the day you came into this world. **_

_**Such a beautifully overwhelming sight.**_

_**I felt the tears fall from my eyes,**_

_**as I told your mother I loved her.**_

_**Such a beautiful little girl,**_

_**my tiny baby girl. **_

_**You've brought so much joy into my life**_

_**Now seeing you stand here**_

_**I feel like my life has passed me by**_

_**As you say goodbye**_

_**I feel those same tears fall from my face**_

_**I know you have your life to live**_

_**and my sweet little angel, I dare**_

_**not stand in your way**_

_**It's just, a father's love**_

_**doesn't die with goodbye**_

_**A father's love, only**_

_**grows stronger with each**_

_**passing day**_

_**I know your mother might **_

_**not be here for you today**_

_**on your day**_

_**but I am, and I promise**_

_**you, my sweet angel**_

_**that she is watching you from**_

_**above, a twinkle in her eye**_

_**and that same small smile **_

_**on her beautiful face. **_

_**A father's love doesn't **_

_**die with goodbye**_

_**oh no, it only gets stronger**_

_**Yeah..stronger**_

_**Oh, always remember**_

_**that no matter what, **_

_**your father still loves you. **_

_The entire church erupted with applause, as tissues were brought to eyes, dabbing at corners. Charlie wiped at the tears in his eyes, as Carol held his hand tightly, wearing her mother's radiate smile on her face._

"_Trust me daddy, I know you still love me...Always and forever right? That was your promise," Carol said._

"_Always and forever, angel, always and forever," Charlie stood up with the rest of the crowd and clapped loudly._

"_I love you too daddy, always and forever. I promise, and I know mum is watching me right now, and daddy she'd be so proud of how brave your being today," Carol said._

_And with that, she took her place back at the top of the steps, her hands held tightly into Greg's. They finished the service, and his little girl was now married, and was now Mrs. Greg Lowell. Charlie let his head hang, as he felt an arm around his shoulders. He looked over and saw Claire sitting beside him. Her radiate glow was much more pronounced, and Charlie knew that it was her telling him, just how proud she was of him. Charlie smiled, and knew he had done the right thing. He also knew that though most of his life, he had failed at quite a few things, he was so happy that he hadn't failed at being a father. _


End file.
